Don't Tell Me Where To Run
by Elfian Aqua
Summary: No one tells a monkey when to Eek! No one tells a spider what to eat. And nobody, but nobody, tells Sonic T. Hedgehog where to run.


Disclaimer -- I don't own the Sonic the Hedgehog characters.

**Don't Tell Me Where To Run!**

-

In the picturesque setting of Emerald Town, two hedgehogs sit at the town's only outdoor chilidog stand. The glossy red stools they sit on are slick and squeak with the slightest movement of their rumps. On the counter of the stand rests a paper plate with a half-eaten chilidog; this resides in front of the male hedgehog. One seat away from this hedgehog is a female hedgehog. Set on the counter before her is a tall paper cup filled with ice tea.

The grass green eyes of the male are narrowed and locked on emerald green ones of the female. "What did you say," the male growls.

"I said I'm making a soufflé today, so could you please not run down Emerald Street."

Narrowed grass green eyes become more narrowed. "Excuse me?"

Nearby, a two-tailed fox that happened to hear the conversation, pipes up, "She sai--"

A gloved hand rises, silencing the fox. "I didn't ask _you_," the hedgehog snarls. "I asked _her_."

Amy Rose shifts uncomfortably in her seat and glances away from her one and only hero. "Did I say something wrong?"

Swiveling to the left on his stool, Sonic stands, his back facing the girl. His shoulders tremble as a light chuckle escapes his snout. "_Did I say something wrong_?" Mimicking Amy in a snot-noised voice, Sonic bursts into deep throaty laughter. Hesitantly, Amy laughs with him. Suddenly Sonic falls quiet. Amy follows suit.

Gradually turning to face Amy, Sonic allows the words, "Just who do you think you are," to fall from his snout like hard-edged stones. Before Amy can respond, Sonic continues, "To tell me where I _can_ or _cannot_ run!" Much to the shock of Amy and the nearby two-tailed fox, Sonic follows the close of his statement with a swift uppercut to Amy's jaw.

Neither Amy nor the fox saw Sonic coming, but he came—fast.

For a moment Amy is in the air, body limp, eyes shut, and neck erect. Then she is on the ground, eyes wide, body stiff, and emotionally shaken. "S-S-S-Sonic," she sputters.

Tails, the two-tailed fox that had remained nameless up to this point, jumps out from his nearby position. "You can't do that," he shouts, an accusatory finger points directly at Sonic's back.

Sonic's shoulders stiffen. "What did you say?"

Afraid, but feeling a strong sense of justice, Tails stands his ground and repeats his statement.

Frowning, Sonic looks over his shoulder at his young friend. "That's what I thought you said."

This time, Tails anticipates Sonic's attack. Swiftly leaping backwards he is able to evade the intended blow to his jaw. However, he fails to regain his footing in time to escape the next attack.

Sonic, already enraged by Tails' statement, becomes even angrier by the fox boy's audacity to dodge his assault. Sprinting forward he grabs the fox boy's shoulders and forcefully somersaults him toward the chilidog stand.

Shadow, standing behind the stand's counter and busily stirring chili, shields his face from the chili that splatters him when Tails lands in his chili bubbling cauldron. Eyes red with rage, he turns to Sonic. His voice seethes loathing. "You-can't-do-that," he bites out.

"What did you say?"

"I said—"

Shadow does not expect it, but he sees the gloved fist coming. He easily sidesteps Sonic's blow and retaliates with a one of his own.

Sonic flies back into the counter, knocking it over. Quickly, he jumps up from the freshly made rubble and steadies himself on his feet. Blood boiling, he dashes for Shadow with his fist up and no plan of attack; he doesn't need one.

In a matter of minutes Shadow is on the ground, the remains of what had been his chili dog stand surround him.

Knuckles arrives on the scene. Surveying the area in disbelief, he says, "What happened here?"

Sonic chuckles. "_I_ happened here."

The echidna's brow furrows. "You can't—"

A swift sock to the jaw not only silences the echidna but also sends him flying, just like Amy. He lands just like her as well.

Amy, somewhat recovered, pulls herself into a sitting position. Holding her aching shoulder, she looks up at Sonic with one eye. "I don't understand," she manages to say. "Why?"

Sonic 'hmphs', his way of saying she should know why. He answers anyway. "Because you tried to tell me what to do."

Tails, finally managing his way out of the cauldron of chili, responds to Sonic's answer. "No, she didn't."

Sonic rolls his eyes. "If that wasn't telling me what to do then what was it?"

Shadow, deciding to stay down, looks up from where he lies at the blue hedgehog. He says, "She was asking you Sonic. Asking."

Flabbergasted, Sonic falls to his knees. Staring wide-eyed at Amy he asks, "Is this true?" Amy nods. "Then," Sonic looks about him at the destruction he has caused. He laughs. "Then I guess all this was uncalled for."

Shadow sits up and smiles. "Sure was."

Tails walks over to Amy and helps her to her feet. Standing, Amy asks, "Hey, you guys want to go get some chilidogs?" Everyone says they do. And so they all walk off, everyone but Knuckles that is. Knuckles remains on the ground, staring skyward, filled with disbelief. "He can't have done all this…"


End file.
